Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 26 Sutra 3 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

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Sutra 3

Devanagari script

प्रवृत्तहिंसानामपरिगृहीतानां षड्भागं गृह्णीयात्मत्स्यपक्षिणां दशभागं वाधिकं मृगपशूनां शुल्कं वाधिकम् ॥ कZ_०२.२६.०३ ॥

Transliteration

pravṛttahiṃsānām aparigṛhītānāṃ ṣaḍbhāgaṃ gṛhṇīyāt matsyapakṣiṇāṃ daśabhāgaṃ vādhikaṃ mṛgapaśūnāṃ śulkaṃ vādhikam

Translation

Dans le cas d’animaux pour lesquels le fait de nuire est permis et qui ne sont pas déjà revendiqués (comme propriété privée), il prélèvera un sixième ; pour les poissons et les oiseaux, un dixième ; pour le gibier et les animaux, un droit supplémentaire.

Word by Word

प्रवृत्तengaged in / set in motion / active

हिंसानाम्of killings / of slaughtering acts

अपरिगृहीतानाम्of those not seized/appropriated (i.e., not taken into possession)

षड्भागम्a sixth part (one-sixth share)

गृह्णीयात्should take / should collect

मत्स्यof fish

पक्षिणाम्of birds

दशभागम्a tenth part (one-tenth share)

वाor / alternatively

अधिकम्more / additional

मृगof wild animals/game

पशूनाम्of animals/cattle

शुल्कम्duty / toll / tax

वाor

अधिकम्more / additional

Entities Mentioned

state (implicit)

hunters/fishers (implicit)

matsya (fish)

pakṣi (birds)

mṛga (game)

paśu (animals)

Ṣ

ṣaḍbhāga (one-sixth)

daśabhāga (one-tenth)

śulka (duty)

FAQs

How does this rule differ from the earlier fine-based rule (2.26.02)?

2.26.02 penalizes prohibited harm (a fine). 2.26.03 governs permitted extraction from commons (a revenue share/duty), treating it as taxable use rather than a crime.

What is the administrative logic of taking shares (1/6, 1/10) instead of fixed fines?

Shares scale with actual yield/value, making collection adaptive to output and reducing incentives to understate profitability relative to a flat charge.